


The Pink Lady: Marichat May 2018

by seasonofthegeek



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Marichat May, ghost au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-04-30 17:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 19,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14502435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasonofthegeek/pseuds/seasonofthegeek
Summary: In this story, Chat Noir, Carapace, Rena Rouge, Queen B, and Paon are the heroes of Paris. The Ladybug Miraculous has been lost for almost a century and it takes all of their combined power to cleanse akumas sometimes but they’ve found something that works since they don’t have another option. Hawkmoth is one of their villains, but not the only one plaguing Paris.Chat Noir happens upon an old hotel one night on patrol and discovers something and someone he didn't expect.





	1. Please Stay

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know if I’m going to be able to keep up with every day again but I’ve had this AU in my head since the beginning of April so I’m going to give it a shot. I suppose it is a bit of a ghost AU so we’ll see how it goes.

Chat Noir wasn’t sure what it was that drew him to the abandoned hotel, but he finally gave in to its call. Night after night, he forced himself past it on the new patrol route Rena Rouge had devised but tonight his curiosity got the best of him. He landed on the rickety balcony railing, swearing as the metal creaked beneath him.

“That’ll happen when a building is ancient and falling apart,” a bored voice said. 

Chat Noir looked around wildly. “Is someone here?”

“Someone’s always here,” the voice sighed. “Boo.”

He took a few steps in through the broken glass doors. The decrepit hotel room was dark and his night vision did little to show him his companion. “Where are you?”

“Wait. Can you actually hear me?”

The black ears on top of Chat Noir’s head twitched as he turned towards the voice, only seeing a half-missing wall. “Why wouldn’t I be able to?”

There was a soft light and suddenly a young woman dressed in a long pink dress stood before him. His breath caught when he realized he could still see the broken wall through her. “No one else ever has before,” she answered simply but her eyes were bright with excitement. “Can you see me?”

“You’re a little see-through,” he breathed, eyes wide. “But yeah, I can see you.”

She frowned, looking down at herself. “Yeah, that’s part of being a ghost, I think. It took me forever to even get this much done.”

“Wow, okay,” he nodded, “a ghost, wow.”

“Are you going to start freaking out? I’d really like it if you didn’t start freaking out.”

“Is it okay if I freak out a little? This isn’t something I see everyday.”

“Says the guy dressed like a leather cat.” The ghost tilted her head, one delicate eyebrow raised. “Is there a reason you’re dressed like that or have I been sleeping longer than I thought? Is this how people are dressing now?”

Chat Noir laughed. “I’m a superhero.”

“Sure.”

“I am!”

“Where’s your cape?”

He blinked. “Why would I have a cape?”

“Because superheroes have capes,” the ghost shrugged. “At least all of the ones I’ve seen, but I’ll admit, I’ve been out of the loop for a while now.”

“Capes aren’t really that big a thing now.”

“They always did seem a little dramatic,” she nodded and began to cross the room. Chat Noir watched as glowing pink motes trailed along after her.

“So you’re a ghost.”

“Apparently.”

He stepped over a heap of splintered wood to get back onto the balcony with her. “Is it tacky to ask why you’re here?”

The woman frowned, brow furrowing. “I think I fell.” She stepped closer to the rusted railing. “Here. It’s all a bit cloudy though.”

“How long ago was it?”

“I’m not sure really. This was a new hotel then so that might tell you something.” She kicked at a pile of rags but her slipper-clad foot phased through it. “The place went under after a while and there were some renovations when another company bought it but they abandoned it too.”

“Could it be because it’s haunted?” Chat Noir shot her half a grin and was pleased when the ghost laughed.

“Before you, no one even seemed to notice me so I don’t think that’s it.” She looked at him. “I don’t understand how you heard me.”

“Ghosts and black cats. It seems to fit,” he smiled. “Do you have a name?”

“Of course I have a name,” she huffed. “Who doesn’t have a name?”

“I’m Chat Noir.” He offered her his hand but dropped it quickly, realizing his error.

“I’m...” She trailed off. “My name is...” She gritted her teeth, not meeting his eyes. “I know my name. My name is...it’s...”

He watched frustration fill her face. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s probably been a while since you used it.”

“No! I know my name. There’s no way I forgot my name. That would be...awful.” The light around her died and she began to fade.

“Wait, don’t go!” Chat Noir stepped forward. “Please stay. We can come up with another name for right now. I’m sure you’ll remember it soon.”

The woman disappeared and Chat Noir looked around for a few moments before his shoulders sagged. He scuffed the toe of his boot along the dirty tile. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’ll come back tomorrow,” he promised. “I’ll think of something to call you too. Don’t worry. Chat Noir’s not my real name either.”

He waited for some kind of reply but finally gave up and launched himself off of the balcony railing, missing the glow that began to form behind him.


	2. Princess

“Are you here?” Chat Noir ventured further into the old hotel room, eyes scanning for any sign of the ghost. He had almost convinced himself that the night before had been some kind of hallucination but couldn’t keep from checking just to be sure. 

“I guess it isn’t entirely surprising that I’m crazy,” he sighed, nudging a fallen beam with his boot. “I’ve had my suspicions for a while.”

There was a soft laugh and the ghost appeared in a pink glow. “I thought I could hold out a while longer and you would leave. Then you had to go and say something like that.”

Chat Noir grinned. “You’re still here.”

“I can’t exactly go anywhere.”

He settled down on the floor and looked up at her hopefully. “Want to talk?”

The ghost tilted her head, studying him. “Surely you have real, live people you can talk to.”

He shrugged. “I want to talk to you. Don’t you get lonely?” He watched her gracefully fold to the floor, her legs tucked underneath her as the pink dress fell around her. 

“Some company would be a nice change.”

Chat Noir beamed. “I thought of something I could call you.”

“Then perhaps you don’t want to know that I remembered my name?” she smiled hesitantly.

“I definitely want to know it!”

The ghost ducked her head with a smile, a glowing blush racing across her cheeks. “I feel silly that I forgot it in the first place. I think it has just been so long since I thought about it... I was embarrassed.” She shook herself and looked at him. “I’m Marinette.”

“That’s a beautiful name, Marinette.”

She bit her lip. “Thanks.”

“And here I wanted to call you Princess because of your pretty dress.”

She laughed and the sound sent a delightful shiver down Chat Noir’s spine. “I’m definitely not a princess.”

“You look like one,” he smiled, happy to see the glowing blush return. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I’m a ghost.”

“I was hoping for something a little more detailed than that,” he prodded.

“I haven’t really thought about anything much in a while. I think it might take some time for things to come back,” she admitted.

“Like your name?”

“Yes.” She gave him a small smile. “Maybe you could tell me about yourself until I remember?”

“I guess so. I’m not sure what there is to tell.”

“You said you’re a superhero.”

Chat Noir preened. “Yeah, there is that. That’s why I was out here last night. One of my teammates made a new patrol route that brought me by here.”

“Patrol route?”

He nodded. “There is a group of us that try to keep Paris safe from the bad guys so we take turns watching different parts of the city.”

Marinette pursed her lips. “I don’t think this is a very good part of the city anymore.” She glanced towards the hallway. “There are people in this building sometimes that aren’t very nice.”

“You should try to scare them away.”

“I’ve tried. For a long time, I tried to get anyone to see me, but no one could.” Her eyes sharpened. “No one until you.”

“I’m not usually very lucky but maybe that’s what you needed.”

“I guess you would have to be unlucky to see ghosts,” she laughed.

“Are you the only one?”

“What?”

“The only ghost here?”

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t... I can’t remember.”

Chat Noir stood, dusting himself off. “Maybe we should go through the rest of the building and see.”

“No!”

He turned in surprise to see Marinette glowing a bright red, her eyes wide. “You shouldn’t leave this room. The rest of the building isn’t safe.”

“Why?”

Frustrated confusion marred her features. “I don’t know.”

“Okay,” he replied slowly, taking a step away from the door. “I won’t go exploring.”

“Thank you.” The light around her faded. “I don’t think I can hold this up much longer.”

“What?”

“Being visible.”

“Oh! I didn’t know it was something you had to keep up.” He realized he could see more of the room through Marinette’s form than before. “Can I come back tomorrow night?”

“Please,” she whispered before she was gone once more.


	3. Adopted Cat

“It’s not like I can take care of it.”

Chat Noir held up the small black kitten and rubbed his cheek against her fuzzy head. “Cats take care of themselves. I thought she could keep you company.”

“I don’t think she likes me,” Marinette frowned as the kitten hissed in her direction again.

“She just needs some time to get used to you, that’s all. I found her on top of a pile of garbage, sniffing at some thrown out pasta. I thought she could live here with you.”

Marinette glanced back at the wrecked hotel room behind her. “It’s not safe really.”

“You don’t know much about cats, huh?” he grinned. “She’ll be fine. We should give her a name.”

“I’ll leave that to you. I just remembered my own.” Marinette’s tone was light but worry flashed in her eyes.

Chat Noir set the kitten down and watched her paw at a rusted screw. “Have you been able to remember anything else?”

“Not really.”

“You will.”

“Or I won’t.” She nodded to the kitten. “You could call her Princess.”

“Nah, that one’s saved for you,” he winked and was delighted to see a glowing blush flow across her face. “Maybe we should call her Linguini. That’s what she was trying to eat when I found her.”

Marinette laughed. “That’s an awful name.”

“It is not! You like it, don’t you, Linguini?” Chat Noir scooped the kitten up once more, rubbing her against his cheek again. He sighed happily. “I love cats.”

“I would’ve never guessed,” Marinette replied dryly.

“Ha ha. I mean it. I’ve never gotten to have one at home. Linguini can be both of ours.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “So we have a cat together now? Things are moving pretty fast, Kitty.”

“You’re just too boo-tiful, Princess. I can’t help myself,” he teased.

Marinette groaned. “You said you weren’t going to use any more ghost puns.”

Chat Noir waved a hand. “Past Chat said that. He tends to make a liar out of Future Chat.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

“Only on the silly things though,” he promised.

Her expression softened. “I’ll remember that too.”

“You’re starting to fade.”

She nodded. “I’m getting tired.”

“This was nice though! I think that’s the longest you’ve last all week,” he smiled.

“I think it’s getting a little easier.”

Chat Noir kissed Linguini’s head and stood, walking her further into the hotel room. He set her down in the middle of the room. “I’m going to go get a litter box and some food and toys and stuff. I’ll bring it back tonight so she has everything she needs.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” 

He nodded and returned to Marinette’s translucent form. “Don’t work yourself too hard. If I can’t see you when I get back, that’s okay. I know you’re here.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’ll try though.”

He held his hand out. “Humor me?”

Marinette smiled and placed her fading hand over his palm. Chat Noir did a sweeping bow, kissing the air above her hand as he had every night that week. “Until I see you again, Princess.”

“Goodnight, Chat Noir.”


	4. Croissant

“My parents were bakers,” Marinette said, voice soft as she watched Chat Noir pull apart a croissant. “Papa was this big man, but he was such a softie. And he always sang when he baked.” She smiled at the memory.

Chat Noir swallowed the bite he had been chewing. “You remember.”

“A little. I can see their faces. And I remember the house always smelling like fresh bread. And there was this warm spot in the kitchen near the oven that I loved sitting by when my hair was wet after a bath. My mom would braid my hair there sometimes too.”

“That sounds really nice.”

“I think it was,” she nodded. “Everything I can remember feels happy.” Her eyes clouded over. “I wonder if they know what happened to me.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching Linguini saunter over to sniff at the contents of Chat Noir’s paper bag. He ran a claw gently along her back as the kitten arched into it. “I could look for them, or any other family you might have.”

“I still don’t remember my last name,” she sighed. “Besides, how would telling them I’m stuck in some kind of limbo in a building that will probably be demolished soon do any good?”

His eyes widened. “Are they going to knock down the building?”

She shrugged, little pink motes floating off her shoulders as she did. “There was a contractor here earlier, walking through. He said the building isn’t worth saving and it would be better to scrap it all and start again.”

“Yeah, but what happens to you?!”

Marinette frowned. “I’m not sure. I don’t know why I’m here to begin with. I’m not the only person who has died here. I don’t know what happens to us if the building is gone.”

“You said there was other stuff in the hotel. Did you mean other ghosts?”

“I did?” Her brows furrowed. “When did I say that?”

Chat Noir leaned closer, not liking the nervous feeling stirring in his gut. “Last week you didn’t want me to go exploring because of bad things in the hotel. And you just said you haven’t been the only one to die here.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Marinette, yes, you did. You literally just said that.”

She gave him a panicked look, already going translucent. “I don’t remember,” she whispered.

“Wait, calm down,” he pleaded, reaching out to her. “It’s okay.” His hand went through her arm and they both watched it happen. She was breathing too quickly and the thought suddenly struck Chat Noir that is was odd to see a ghost breathe. Did she need to for some reason or was it just a habit that wouldn’t fade even though her memories had? “Stay with me, Princess.”

Her eyes were still too wide but she nodded, swallowing audibly. Linguini moved towards her, curling into the space where her lap should’ve been and beginning to purr. She looked down at the kitten in awe as her body became more visible.

“Chat, why can’t I remember saying that?” she asked, voice quiet.

“I’m not sure,” he frowned. “But it doesn’t matter right now. Let’s talk about something else. Do you want to tell me more about your family?”

She shook her head. “I’m too scared to remember them.”

“That’s okay. We can just sit here if you want.” He moved over so he was sitting beside her and they watched the night sky through the broken glass doors of her room.


	5. Yarn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far and I'm excited for what's to come! :)

“Kid, do you really think this is a good idea?” Plagg asked as Adrien pulled down another board blocking the back entrance of the hotel.

“Something is scaring Marinette and I want to see if we can find it,” he murmured, dusting his hands off.

“Yeah, but will you at least transform? We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

Adrien grinned back at his kwami. “Aww, you’re worried about me.”

“I’m worried about my food source,” he corrected. “But sure, maybe I’m a little worried about you.”

“I love you too. Claws out.”

Chat Noir slipped in through the hole he had created in the door and looked around. Weak sunlight filtered in through broken and boarded windows but he had to admit that his enhanced vision was more helpful in this situation. He did miss not having Plagg to talk to while he walked down the dirty hallway though. He had seen some crazy stuff in his time as Chat Noir, but there was something about an obviously once beautiful place being completely trashed and abandoned that chilled him to the bone. At what point had someone simply given up on this place?

He expected to find squatters or stray animals but he didn’t encounter either as he traveled farther in and found the lobby. He had to stamp down the temptation to call out for Marinette, or even Linguini. It was hard not to drop his transformation so he would have Plagg with him. This place screamed loneliness and it was almost a palatable thing.

He saw a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye and spun in relief to see Marinette glide into the room. He put a hand to his chest. “I know I’m not going to sound very brave, but you almost gave me a heart attack, Princess,” he chuckled.

She didn’t acknowledge him and instead continued to float along. Chat Noir frowned. “Marinette?”

She disappeared through a wall and he jogged through the entryway to catch up with her. “Wait, Marinette! It’s me; it’s Chat!”

She never looked back at him, phasing through another wall languidly. He stopped in the middle of the big room in confusion.

“She can’t hear you here,” a small voice said.

He spun around, eyes wide.

“And you can’t see me.” The voice was tiny and weak, barely a whisper. “Her room. Go to her room.”

He looked up towards the decrepit staircase and then pulled his baton out, extending it to take him to the next floor. He stayed still for a moment, bringing up the outside of the hotel in his mind and counting the floors to Marinette’s room. He carefully made his way up a few more floors with his baton, not trusting the rotting stairs. He heard laughter as he made it to Marinette’s floor and found himself moving quicker down the hall, barely dodging broken furniture and heaps of trash.

“You really like it!” Marinette beamed, joy filling her voice as she danced the long length of pink yarn across the floor. Linguini stalked after it, tiny claws snagging it every so often before Marinette would pull it away again. She looked back and saw Chat Noir leaning in the doorway to catch his breath. “Chat! I didn’t expect to see you this early,” she smiled.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect to see you either,” he murmured.

Her smile dropped a fraction but she held up the yarn. “I found this today and look! Linny loves it!” She bounced the yarn and Linguini leapt at it.

“Where did you find it?” Chat Noir eyed the soft pink yarn. It looked new, aside from the frizzy snags from tiny claws.

Marinette frowned. “I...I’m not sure.” She coiled it up in her hand. “I wanted to find something to play with and then...” She looked down at the yarn in her hand. “And then I had it.”

“Can I see it?” He came closer, holding out his hand and she dropped it into his palm. It fell through his gloved hand and was attacked by Linguini as soon as it hit the floor.

“I don’t understand,” Marinette whispered as the kitten dragged the yarn away so she could play with it in peace.

Chat Noir worried his bottom lip, hand still held out. He hadn’t felt anything as the yarn fell through his palm, just like he didn’t physically feel anything when Marinette touched him. He knew she was touching him and he recognized what he should feel, but there was nothing actually there, just like the yarn.

Linguini was real though. He was the one who found the kitten, carried her across the city, brought her here. He cleaned her litter box and made sure she had fresh food and water. She was alive and breathing and somehow playing with ghost yarn.

“Were you downstairs earlier?” he finally asked.

Marinette blinked. “Of course not. I don’t leave this room.”

“Even when I can’t see you, you’re here?”

“I can’t even go past the doorway.” She crossed the room, pink motes floating along in her wake. She raised her slipper-clad foot and tried to step into the hall but her toe bounced back as if she hit a wall.

“Have you always been trapped here?” He watched a familiar expression of frustrated confusion fill her face.

“I don’t know.”

“None of this makes sense.”

She turned towards him. “You didn’t come in through the balcony.” Her eyes widened. “You came in through the hotel! I told you it isn’t safe!”

“How do you know?”

“I just know,” she huffed, crossing her arms. “Maybe you should go.”

Chat Noir glanced behind her to see Linguini still batting around the yarn. He had too many thoughts rushing around in his head. “Yeah, maybe I should. I’ll be back tomorrow night though.”

Marinette nodded silently, watching him go out towards the balcony and leap away. She closed her eyes, willing herself to fade again but the usual empty feeling never came. She blinked, looking down at her translucent hands and tried again. They didn’t become more solid but they didn’t go invisible either. “Well,” she murmured, “that’s new.”


	6. Spotted

“You want to share with the class why you’ve been seen out every night the past two weeks?” Rena Rouge leaned against a chimney with an expectant expression. “We scheduled patrols so no one would get too fatigued. Kinda defeats the purpose if you’re going out anyway.”

Chat Noir froze. “How do you know I’ve been out?”

“Miracublog, remember? People send in sightings all the time. There were a few photos of you on a balcony of that old hotel. Is something going on there?”

“What?! No, of course not.” He saw the black spot of her mask above her right eye raise skeptically. “Okay, yes, I’ve been going there, but it isn’t anything anyone should worry about.”

“In the history of our friendship, bad things usually tend to follow when you say that,” Carapace pointed out, nudging Chat Noir’s shoulder.

“I met someone there. It’s no big deal.”

“Who could you have possibly met?” Rena Rouge asked. “That place has been shut down for years.”

Queen B snorted from the box she was sitting on. “It figures that out of the thousands of eligible people in this city, you would go after a ghost.” When she caught Chat Noir’s expression, she blanched. “I was kidding.”

“Wait, did you really meet a ghost?!”

“I’m not convinced she’s a ghost exactly,” he replied slowly.

Rena Rouge’s eyes widened. “Can we meet her?!”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I...she...” Chat Noir huffed, crossing his arms. “Just not yet, okay?”

“Are you sure she’s safe, dude?” Carapace’s voice was gentle. “We’ve all been tricked by things before.”

“I don’t know yet. I’m wondering if something is using her somehow.”

“We need to know about her then,” Queen B stood and stretched. “I think we all remember Blaine. I fell in love within an hour of meeting him and he almost torched Paris to the ground. Not a high point.”

“He was a warlock.”

“With a cute butt,” she smirked. “Still, he had me wrapped before I even realized.”

Chat Noir grimaced. “Fine, you guys can meet her, but let me ease her into the idea first, okay? She says I’m the only person who has ever been able to see her.”  
___________________________

“I scared you yesterday,” Marinette said in greeting. “Why?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out.” Chat Noir retracted his baton and snapped it into place. “How are you feeling today?”

“Well, not invisible.”

“I can see that.”

She shook her head. “No, Chat, I mean I haven’t been invisible this whole time.”

“You haven’t faded at all?”

She gave him a tentative smile. “No. I usually do as soon as you leave to save my energy but I just stayed here. I even tried to fade away and I couldn’t. That’s probably good, right?”

His expression softened. “I think it is. Does it make you happy?”

Marinette’s smile widened. “It really does. When I’m not here, I don’t feel real anymore. If I can actually stay, that means I...” She trailed off, her smile wilting. “That doesn’t really mean anything at all, does it?”

“Sure it does.”

She waved a hand, pink motes floating in the movement. “I’m still dead. I’m still stuck in a room in a rotting building. I don’t think it changes any of those things.”

“Do you remember dying?” The question was out before he could stop himself. Chat Noir was torn between embarrassment and curiosity, watching for any sign that he should backpedal into safer territory.

“I remember falling.” Marinette glided to the balcony and Chat Noir followed her, trying to shake the eerie feeling of deja vu from the day before. They looked down at the street below. “I can’t imagine I would’ve survived that.”

“How old were you?”

She blinked in surprise, nose scrunching. “I’m...I was...twenty-four.” Her eyes lit up. “I was twenty-four! I remember!” She looked back at the room. “My birthday. It was my birthday and this room was my present. The hotel had just opened and he surprised me.”

“Who did?” Chat Noir prodded excitedly. 

The light in Marinette’s eyes died and she shook her head. “No, no, I don’t want to remember that.”

“Someone got you the room for your birthday?”

“I’m not talking about this. I don’t want to remember.” The pink glow around her darkened to a red as she glared at Chat Noir.

He held up both hands in surrender. “That’s fine, Mari. That’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it anymore.”

“We talk about me too much,” she grumbled. 

“Well, if you want to know about me, Princess, all you have to do is ask,” Chat Noir grinned, taking the obvious out.

Marinette settled to the balcony floor in a flowing grace. “Alright, Kitty, tell me all about you.”


	7. Protection

“I know you’re back there,” Chat Noir sighed, turning around. “You may as well come out.”

Paon waved a sheepish hand, stepping around a chimney. “Just to be clear, this wasn’t my idea.”

“Who has you following me, Rena or Queenie?”

“Carapace, actually. He’s worried about you.” Paon gestured for them to sit on the roof ledge and Chat Noir nodded in agreement. “Nino thought I might be a little more inconspicuous than the girls.”

“I could smell you.”

“I’m not sure how to take that.”

Chat Noir chuckled and tapped his nose. “Just part of the skill set. It’s not bad. You just always smell like paint.”

Paon ducked his head. “Guess that’s part of my skill set too.” He glanced across the street to the abandoned hotel. “Is that where your friend is?”

“Yeah.”

“Alya said you were going to let everyone meet her.”

Chat Noir studied his claws. “I know,” he said quietly.

“But?”

“You’ve become much too perceptive.”

Paon shrugged. “I don’t think it’s a new thing. It comes from a long life of being overlooked and mostly ignored. People never realized I was watching.”

“And someone was always watching me.”

“We’ve all got problems then.” Paon nodded towards the hotel. “You want to tell me about her?”

“She’s just really cool,” he said with a small smile. “She’s got this quick wit and she’s nice to talk to.”

“Pretty?”

“Gorgeous.”

Paon lightly kicked his heels against the brick. “I’ve been hoping you would find someone.”

“Yeah, must get tiring having me be the fifth wheel, huh?”

“You know it isn’t like that.”

“Sometimes it is, Nath,” Chat Noir murmured.

“Sorry.” Paon stretched and stood. “Go see her. I’ll say you lost me and then I didn’t want to barge into the hotel.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“You know Chloe and Alya are going to want to meet her soon though, ghost or not.”

“I know.”

He put a hand on Chat Noir’s shoulder. “Just be careful, okay? Something about that place is giving me bad vibes.”

“Would you be willing to come check it out with me another time? Give it the whole magic mojo test and all?”

“Of course. I’m sure Nino would too.”

Chat Noir sighed and stood. “He’s just gotten so Guardian-y lately. Sometimes I’m not sure.”

“I know what you mean,” Paon nodded. “But I think he still sees himself as your best friend first. He couldn’t come himself, and he wouldn’t have sent me out here otherwise. Have a good night, Chat.”

“You too.” Chat Noir watched him head back across the rooftops before he took the leap to the balcony. “Marinette?” He looked around the room, his heart sinking. “Marinette, are you here?”

He checked all the usual spots Linguini liked to sleep and didn’t find the kitten either. He tried to ignore the cold lump of fear forming in his chest and stepped out of the room and into the hallway. “Marinette? Linguini?”

He stalked down the hall, careful of the heaps of debris. He really should try to clean up Marinette’s room. Even if she didn’t need it, she might appreciate it not looking like a dump. It would be safer for their kitten too.

A small hiss caught his ear and he followed the sound to the edge of the rickety staircase. Linguini stood halfway down the stairs, back arched and fur ruffled as she hissed. Chat Noir’s gaze followed hers to see the floating pale outline of a woman’s back. Long, dark, stringy hair fell past her waist and a pink dress hung in tatters on her form. She began to turn around and Linguini hissed again.

Chat Noir lost his breath as the gaunt face was revealed to him. “Marinette?” he choked, the eyes familiar even in their dark, sunken state. Cheekbones pressed against her translucent skin as if they would break through with little resistance. The lovely pink dress with its carefully embroidered flowers was torn, dirty, and ragged, hanging off of her shrunken form.

He froze, unable to look away from the horror of what was before him. It didn’t make sense. He had seen Marinette less than a day ago. This wasn’t her; this couldn’t be her! 

The ghost’s jaw fell open too far to be natural, an awful shrieking sound flowing from it as the specter neared Chat Noir. He felt cold sink into his bones and knew he should run but he couldn’t make himself move. It was coming closer still and a small voice in the back of his head told him this was his end.

“No!” Glowing pink light flashed past him and charged the ghost. There was another blood-curdling shriek and then Marinette was left floating in the air alone, her chest heaving and hair falling out of its careful pinning. Her eyes were wide with fear as they swung around to find Chat Noir, relief filling her face when she saw he was okay.

“I told you not to come here!” she screamed, cheeks glowing dark pink. “I told you!”

“I’m sorry...I...I...” Chat Noir stepped back, his adrenaline dropping again and his knees giving out. He crumpled to the dirty floor in surprise.

Marinette neared the stairs, running her fingers along Linguini’s back until the kitten’s fur fell back into place and she purred against her touch. She rose up again until she was on level with Chat Noir, Linguini following close behind. “Are you okay?” she asked quietly.

“What was that?” he whispered.

Glowing tears filled her eyes. “I don’t know.” She shook her head, displacing her hair even more. “It can’t be me; it can’t! I’m me! But...”

Chat Noir forced himself back up, scooping up the kitten. “Let’s go back to your room, Princess.”


	8. Kiss

“You’ve seen that thing before?” Chat Noir sat against the wall closest to the balcony so he could watch the room door.

Marinette pulled her knees up under her chin as she sat beside him. “Yes.”

“But you don’t know what it is?”

She turned her head so she could look at him and he was struck with how small she seemed. She was as shaken as he was. “I think it’s me but I don’t know how.”

“I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Me neither.”

They sat in silence, watching Linguini trail her yarn across the room.

“I want to help you,” Chat Noir finally said. “But I have no idea what to do. I think you need to tell me more about how you died.”

“I told you I fell.”

“Will you tell me everything you remember?” He saw her stiffen and the need to reach out and touch her tore into him. He couldn’t stand the thought of seeing his hand go through her at that moment though so he wrapped his arms around himself to ward off temptation. “Please, Marinette. It might help.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear, fingernail clicking against the plain dark earring in her lobe. “Okay,” she nodded, swallowing hard. “Uh, let’s see. I told you it was my birthday and...” She took a deep breath. “I was recently engaged and was supposed to be staying here alone, but Henry snuck in through the balcony after the party. He was always doing things like that.” Her voice caught on the name and she hunched her shoulders.

“Was Henry your fiance?” Chat Noir asked quietly.

Marinette nodded as a sad smile graced her lips. “He was such a serious man, very down to business with everyone except for me.” She blinked and a glowing tear slid down her cheek. “He was silly with me. He was soft and vulnerable and...and still so strong.”

Chat Noir watched emotions flow over her face as she spoke and could feel himself being sucked in deeper. He couldn’t blame Henry one bit for wanting to spend his life with this woman.

“We...” She frowned, worrying her lip. “We would run at night.” She looked past Chat Noir to the balcony and the view of the city beyond. “We would run along rooftops.” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “That can’t be right; it doesn’t make sense.”

There were voices Chat Noir sometimes heard in his head. He assumed they belonged to Plagg despite the kwami’s insistence that they didn’t; but the voices spoke so rarely that it never seemed worth pushing. A voice spoke to him now, quiet but demanding. “Show her your ring.” He frowned down at his hand, the green paw print bright against the black.

“There was a woman. The woman in blue,” Marinette continued. “She was evil and we fought her.” She gave him a helpless look. “These can’t be real memories, can they? They’re madness.”

“I run at night,” he replied quietly. “I race across rooftops and fight evil. It sounds like a normal Tuesday to me.” He fiddled with his ring for a moment before covering it with his other hand. “Did Henry wear any jewelry?”

“A silver ring.” Marinette’s brow furrowed. “No, it was black. Wait, silver. It was definitely silver.” She rubbed at her temple. “I can’t think of anything else right now.” She met Chat Noir’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You did great.”

She smiled as a glowing blush tinted her cheeks. “Thanks for being patient with me.”

“Thanks for sharing with me.”

Marinette looked down at her hands in her lap, fingers fiddling with one of the beautifully embroidered flowers on her dress. “I’m sorry you were scared earlier. I hope you’ll still come to visit. Seeing you is the highlight of my day.”

Chat Noir felt his heart hammer inside his chest. “I feel the same way about seeing you.” He snapped his mouth shut quickly to keep more confessions from pouring out. She didn’t need to know that he paced his apartment anxiously, waiting until it was late enough to visit her. She didn’t need to know that her face was all he thought about during work meetings and the real reason he hadn’t invited his friends to see her was that he was too selfish to give up their time alone just yet. She didn’t need to know that he had researched deaths at the hotel and found one that matched hers, an unnamed guest who had fallen from her balcony and was wearing a pink dress the week the hotel had opened in 1920. She didn’t need to know that he was both terrified and at peace with the fact he had fallen for her. She didn’t need to know.

Marinette leaned over, placing her hand next to his and Chat Noir could swear he felt warmth. She pressed her lips just over the skin of his cheek, the thinnest sliver of air between them. Chat Noir held his breath, not daring to break the illusion of her kiss. “Thank you,” she whispered and he felt a solid kiss against his cheek.


	9. Belt Tail

Marinette shuddered, her breath warm against Chat Noir’s cheek as she pulled away from him with wide eyes. Chat Noir touched his cheek in surprise with a soft sigh falling from his lips.

“I felt you,” she whispered.

“I felt you,” he echoed, turning to her. He offered her his open palm as he had many times before and Marinette hesitated for a moment before resting her hand against his. Chat Noir felt his heartbeat pick up as his thumb and forefinger closed around her wrist and he leaned forward to kiss the back of her hand.

“How is this happening?” Marinette breathed as Chat Noir’s lips touched her skin. Warmth spread out from that spot and filled her chest.

“I’m scared to wonder,” he admitted, pulling back enough to look at her. “You feel real.”

She kept her eyes on him as she followed his retreat, placing her hand against his cheek. She smiled tentatively as her thumb brushed along the line of his mask. Chat Noir couldn’t keep himself from nuzzling into her touch, tilting his head as a soft purr began in his chest. Marinette giggled in pleased surprise and reached up with her other hand to touch the tip of one of his black ears. It flicked beneath her touch and a light blushed leaked out from Chat Noir’s mask.

“You’re so warm.” She scooted closer to him so that their arms pressed against each other. Chat Noir shifted and reached around her, pulling her close to him. Marinette hummed happily. “I don’t think this is real, but I’ll take it.”

“What makes you think it isn’t real?”

“Because I’ve been alone for too long,” she murmured, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against his collarbone. “I think maybe I’m dreaming and I’ll see you tonight like usual, unless I’ve completely made you up all together.”

“And I’m having the same dream?” he chuckled, giving into temptation and kissing the top of her head. He realized with a start that she didn’t smell like anything. She felt real and solid in his arms but she had no scent. Everyone had a scent. 

“Well, now I know what you’ve been up to all this time.”

Marinette and Chat Noir jumped at the sound of a new voice. Chat Noir was on his feet, tail wrapping around Marinette tightly to keep her behind him. She looked down at it in amusement for a moment before returning her attention to their company.

Rena Rouge stood just inside the balcony entrance with a hand on her hip and one eyebrow raised. “A word, Chat?”

He half-turned to Marinette, surprised to see his tail wrapped around her waist. “Sorry,” he murmured, pulling it away hastily with a blush. “Uh, that’s my friend, Rena. I’m just going to step out on the balcony and talk to her, okay?”

“I’ll be right here,” she promised.

Chat Noir nodded and turned away from her reluctantly, following Rena Rouge out onto the balcony. Carapace was leaning against the rusted railing, arms crossed. “What’s up?”

“Well, to be honest, we got a little tired of waiting on you.”

Chat Noir frowned for a moment before grimacing. “We had a team meeting. I’m sorry. This crazy thing happened and I lost track of time and...” He glanced back towards the room.

“Yeah, we can see that,” Rena Rouge winked. 

“Is everything okay?” Carapace asked, gaze following Chat Noir’s to the room.

“Things got a little weird tonight,” he admitted. “This is the first time we’ve been able to touch and there was this banshee thing and Marinette is starting to remember stuff and it’s just been a lot.”

“Could I talk to her?”

Rena Rouge and Chat Noir looked at Carapace in surprise. “Why?”

“Guardian stuff.”

“You know, you use that excuse for way too much,” Rena Rouge complained. “The other day he took a huge bite of my sandwich and claimed it was Guardian stuff.”

Carapace gave her a small smile. “Okay, I may have stretched it a bit then but I mean it now.”

Chat Noir fiddled with his ring. “Can you tell me what kind of Guardian stuff?”

“I don’t think I should until I know more.” He straightened, dusting rust from his gloved hands. “I need you to trust me, Chat.”

“I do.”

“Good,” Carapace nodded. “It might be a while. You should probably head home.” He glanced at his girlfriend. “Both of you.”

“I’m not leaving you here with some ghost or banshee or whatever so you can forget it,” Rena Rouge huffed, crossing her arms. “No offense, Chat.”

“None taken since I’m not going anywhere either.” Chat Noir took Carapace’s place by the railing.

Carapace sighed. “Fine, but stay out here.”

They watched him go into the room and start talking to Marinette, their voices low.

“You kissed her head.”

“That’s not a crime,” Chat Noir muttered, turning away to look out at the city.

“You’re in deep, aren’t you?” Rena Rouge closed the distance between them, nudging his shoulder with hers. “She’s really pretty.”

“But?”

“I didn’t say anything.” 

“A first time for everything.”

“Rude.” Rena Rouge leaned against the railing and it creaked ominously. “I’m just worried about you, Adrien. You’ve never shown much interest in anyone as long as I’ve known you and now...”

“I know.”

They stayed silent, listening to the sounds of the city around them, neither admitting that they were straining to hear the conversation from the room behind them. Carapace and Marinette were quiet though, bare murmurs indiscernible from their spot. Carapace finally emerged once more, expression exhausted. “We should go.”

Chat Noir looked past him to see Marinette translucent once again, watching him from the middle of the room. “What’d you do?” he growled.

Marinette glided towards them with a soft smile. “I’m fine, Kitty. Just a little tired. Go home. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Ignoring his teammates, he offered her his open palm. Marinette hesitated for a moment before setting her hand just above his. Chat Noir tried to close his fingers around her wrist but they sank through and his chest tightened. He looked at Marinette in distraught and saw sadness flash in her eyes.

“It’s okay,” she promised, fading more as she spoke. “This isn’t the end.”

He stood at the edge of the room until his muscles ached, well after Rena Rouge and Carapace had gone and Marinette had disappeared. He finally trudged to Linguini’s litter box, cleaning it out and refreshing her food and water before he left to go back to his empty apartment.


	10. Catnip

“You must be Marinette,” Paon smiled tentatively, awkwardly holding up a sagging Chat Noir.

Marinette glided out to the balcony, fear mounting in her chest. It had been two days since she last saw him on the night she faded away and every second had felt like an eternity. “What’s wrong with him?”

Chat Noir lolled his head to the side to look at her, a dopey grin spreading across his lips. “My pink lady,” he slurred.

“The akuma we’re fighting decided to get creative,” Paon sighed, struggling to walk Chat Noir further into the room. “Carapace wasn’t sure how long the effects will last and needed to keep him somewhere safe. Can he stay here?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks. He tends to get himself into trouble when he’s under the influence of something.” Paon looked around awkwardly at the trashed room and finally propped Chat Noir against one of the walls, helping him sag to the floor as the other man burst into a fit of giggles. “Someone will be back for him as soon as we can.”

“I’ll watch over him,” she promised.

“I know you will,” he answered quietly before sweeping back out to the balcony and disappearing into the night.

“So pretty,” Chat Noir grinned up at her, eyelids heavy. “Glowy.”

Marinette sat down beside him with a small smile. “You’re completely out of it, aren’t you? What the akuma hit you with, catnip?”

He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. “Happy now.”

“I missed you too,” she whispered. “I was afraid that maybe you weren’t coming back.” When he didn’t respond, Marinette glanced over at him. His eyes were still closed, drugged smile in place. “Did your friend tell you?”

Chat Noir hummed and let his head fall to the side. Marinette let out a surprised squeak when it landed solidly against her shoulder. “I guess I’m back again,” she said quietly. “I never feel real unless you’re here. I’m not sure I even exist when someone isn’t here.” She hesitantly reached for his hand and sighed happily when his fingers instantly linked with hers. She stared down at their joined hands in reserved awe.

“Nino’s been back. He told me I could call him that instead of Carapace. That’s a bit of a mouthful.” She rubbed her thumb along the slickness of Chat Noir’s glove. “He’s looking for my body, where I’m buried.” Marinette swallowed thickly. “I think part of me was somehow hoping that...but no, I knew. I guess I always knew. You just made me wish...” She trailed off and pressed the pad of her thumb against the claw of Chat Noir’s. She gently turned his wrist to study the ring on his finger.

“It’s like he opened a door in my memories or something. Or maybe you did. I’m not sure. I recognize this ring now though. This is the one Henry wore. My Henry...”

A deep rumble began in Chat Noir’s chest and he curled more towards her, eyes still closed. Marinette reached up with her free hand to brush his hair away from his face. “You really aren’t anything like him,” she murmured. “But something about you feels so comfortable.” She looked down at the ring again. “Maybe it really is just the ring but that seems so...unfair.”

Tears stung her eyes. “Nino needs my earrings. The real ones, I guess.” She touched at one of the dark stone earrings she wore. “He thinks maybe I’m an echo. Apparently Henry wrote all about us in a journal and it was passed down through the Guardians. He kept hoping I could come back.” She cried openly, body jerking with the sobs as Chat Noir unconsciously curled tighter around her. “I guess I did, just a little too late.”

“He said I’ll probably disappear soon, when he finds them, I guess.” Marinette wiped at her eyes. “He told you, didn’t he? That’s why you didn’t come back.”

She blinked away fresh tears, clenching her jaw. “I don’t blame you,” she whispered. “I don’t want to say goodbye either.”

Linguini finally sauntered over, stepping into Marinette’s lap to curl between them.

“You have to promise to take care of Linny when I’m gone. She’s been such nice company.”

“Mine,” Chat Noir murmured, tightening his hold on her hand. “Keep you.”

Marinette nodded, trying to keep more tears from falling as she kissed the top of his head. “I would let you.”


	11. Sketching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been listening to “Turning Page” by Sleeping at Last while writing this story and it is so perfect so I wanted to share. <3
> 
> Thanks for all the awesome comments. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the mystery and heartache. And don't worry, if you're familiar with my writing, you know I'm a sucker for a happy ending. ;)

Adrien unplugged the headphones jack and Nino whirled around in his desk chair in surprise. “I need you to tell me everything you know about Marinette,” Adrien demanded.

Nino glanced around. “Dude, I’m at work.”

“No one else is here. Marco told me to remind you to lock up when he was walking out the door.”

“And this can’t wait until I finish remixing this track?” he sighed.

Adrien crossed his arms, leaning against the edge of the desk. “No.”

“You’re awfully prickly today.”

“Is she going to disappear?”

Nino’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah, probably.”

“So you’re okay with killing her if it means getting the Ladybug Miraculous back, is that it?”

“Can you take a breath for a minute? You know how much we need the Ladybug. Do you have any idea how many jars of akumas I have magically sealed and stashed away right now? It’s taking a toll. The way we all have to pitch in to cleanse just one isn’t enough. The Ladybug can take care of one easily.”

“It’s not worth killing her for,” Adrien huffed.

Nino winced. “Adrien, she’s already dead. She’s been dead for almost a hundred years.”

“Not to me!” He straightened and began to pace the area behind Nino’s desk. “And she hasn’t been dead! She’s been aware most of the time. She’s watched the world change around her, Nino. She’s seen things evolve and she’s evolved with them. We can’t just pretend like this isn’t murder, and I can’t let you do it.”

“You’re in love with her,” Nino said softly.

Adrien stopped in his tracks and hung his head. “Yeah, I am.” 

“Okay.”

“What do you mean ‘okay’?”

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try to figure something out with the Miraculous. I’ll try to keep her here, but, dude, if she’s tied to the building, there isn’t a lot anyone can do. My and Nath’s magic is strictly Miraculous bound and we don’t have the power to undo death.”

“I know. I...thank you for trying, at least.”

Nino gave him a sad smile. “Go see her. I took her some stuff to read this morning but I’m sure she’s ready for company.”  
__________________________

Chat Noir landed on the balcony as quietly as he could. Marinette was sitting against the far wall of the room, head bowed over her lap with a pen in her hand as Linguini napped by her legs. He watched her, taking advantage of her inattention. Her hair was loose around her face and Chat Noir realized with a start that she had been changing for a while now. 

When he first met her, her hair was in soft pulled back curls, shimmering pins holding it back. Her pink dress was perfect, falling to her ankle just over the simple pink ballet flats. She had been the picture of a young woman attending a party in 1920.

Her hair seemed almost longer today as it hung past her shoulders, shimmering pins nowhere in sight. The dress was different as well. The embroidered flowers were still there but the colors were shifting to a dark pink and the skirt of the dress didn’t seem as long. When had that happened? Ghosts couldn’t physically change, could they? Except...

Except she already had.

He could touch her sometimes. She blushed as if there was still blood pumping through her body. And then there was the yarn. The yarn still bothered him. Marinette had seemingly created it out of nothing and Linguini had no trouble interacting with it but it had fallen straight through his palm when he tried to hold it. And he couldn’t forget the terrifying banshee that could also somehow be Marinette that roamed the lower half of the hotel. There was also the zombie ghost Marinette that hadn’t acknowledge his presence at all, unless those were one in the same.

“It doesn’t make sense,” he murmured.

“You’re here,” Marinette beamed at him. 

Chat Noir pasted a smile on his face and crossed the room, plopping down beside her. “I’m here.”

“I’m glad.”

He couldn’t force out the things he wanted to say so he simply nodded, polite smile still in place. He saw her expression shift to one of uncertainty and he quickly pointed to the stack of papers in her lap. “What are these?”

“Oh,” she blushed. “Um, this is...well, this is Henry when he was like you.” She moved her hand so Chat Noir could see the whole page. It was full of sketches of a man in black slacks and a black long sleeve shirt, a black mask covering most of his head with two tall points at the top. A whip was curled at his belt and he held a staff in a few of the pictures.

“I was remembering more,” she said quietly, “and Nino left a pen with the copies from Henry’s journal so I thought I might sketch a bit. I’m rather rusty.” She forced a laugh.

“I think they’re nice.”

“He got married years later.” Marinette turned over the paper and rifled through the stack until she found what she was looking for. There was a photocopy of an old picture of a tall serious man beside a small smiling woman holding a baby. “I think she’s pretty.” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes quickly. “I’m glad he found someone. He never did well on his own. He would fall too far into his own head and lose sight of things. She looks like she would’ve watched out for him, and he always wanted to be a father.”

“His child might still be alive. He could even have grandchildren,” Chat Noir offered.

Marinette smiled at him with shiny eyes. “I like that thought,” she nodded. 

“Did you learn anything else from the journal?”

“Lots of things, although I don’t really know what to do with any of the knowledge. Honestly, I think Nino feels guilty and thought this might be a nice gesture.” She pressed her palm against the top page. “And it was. I don’t feel quite so lost anymore.”

“I’m glad for that then.”

“I...” Marinette ducked her head shyly. “I drew you too, if you’d like to see them.”

Chat Noir felt his heart threaten to beat out of his chest. “I’d love to.”

She found the drawings easily, almost as if she had known exactly where they were unlike the other things she had searched for. “Now remember, I did say I’m rusty,” she warned, pulling out three pages and laying them across her lap.

Chat Noir swallowed thickly, looking at the sketches of him smiling, laughing, staring, sitting, standing, leaning. The expression she drew in almost every set of his eyes was so fond that he felt his cheeks warm beneath his mask. Is this how he looked at her? He hadn’t realized he was being so open with his emotions. And the sudden thought occurred to him that there was no reason not to be. There was no telling how much time they had left and he didn’t want to waste another second of it.

“I love you,” he whispered, voice choked.


	12. Touch Starved

“I love you,” Chat Noir whispered, voice choked.

Marinette inhaled sharply. “You what?” She looked at him with wide eyes.

“Take it back!” his mind screamed. “Abort! Abort!” His bottom lip dropped open but no words came out. He felt his cheeks catch flame and the stray thought of using Cataclysm on himself floated to the forefront.

“Say it again, please.”

Chat Noir took in a deep breath, not quite meeting her eyes. “I love you. Is...that okay?”

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut. “You shouldn’t.”

Chat Noir shrugged, deciding this moment would go down in history as the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to him, and that included slipping off the Eiffel Tower during a public photo shoot and breaking his nose when he first started out as a hero. Those photos still circulated every few months to come back and haunt him. “I’m sorry.”

Her fingers were quickly linking with his as she moved the stack of papers in her lap to the floor with her other hand. “Don’t be. Please, please don’t be sorry.”

He dared to look at her with half a smile. “I’m not actually sorry at all if that helps.”

“I don’t know if I’m real,” she warned, turning more towards him, “but when I’m with you, I feel...” She trailed off and the intense need to know pushed Chat Noir to speak.

“Feel what?” he prodded.

“Alive,” she murmured, looking at their hands. “I know I’m not. I read Henry’s journal. Bluewing found us here and dropped me off the roof when we wouldn’t hand over our Miraculous,” she explained quietly. “I didn’t have Tikki with me; I’d left her in the room and ran after Henry as he transformed.” She shook her head. “I can remember being so scared, Chat. And angry. I remember him telling me to wait in the room. Something was different that night. Bluewing was more powerful than ever and he was trying to protect me; he was always trying to protect me.”

“I can’t blame him for that,” Chat Noir admitted. 

“I made myself an easy mark,” she sighed. “Henry told police later that Bluewing attacked us in our room so it wouldn’t be suspicious that we were on the roof, I guess.” She looked up at the broken room. “I thought my death was keeping me here but I think maybe this is just what I could remember.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Henry said he buried me with the Miraculous because he couldn’t bear to take them off. He couldn’t find Tikki anywhere and assumed she had locked herself in the earrings. The Guardian wasn’t very happy, I guess.”

“Maybe Henry didn’t want to take away that part of you.”

“Maybe. It still seems rather romantic for him, in a way.”

“And he wasn’t a romantic?”

Marinette smiled. “On the rare occasion, he could be, but something about this still feels off for me. I knew him better than anyone else.” She looked down at their joined hands again. “I don’t guess any of that matters anymore, does it?”

“If it’s important to you, it matters,” Chat Noir replied softly.

“You keep coming back.”

He blinked in surprise. “Well, yeah.” 

“Because you love me.”

He felt his face heat all over again. “Um, yes, because I love you.”

She pursed her lips in contemplation. “Because I’m the Ladybug and you’re the Black Cat?”

His face clouded over. “No. Because you’re Marinette. I didn’t even know about the Ladybug stuff. I’m fine if they never find those damn earrings honestly.”

Marinette let out a sound that fell somewhere between a sob and a sigh as she kept her eyes on his hands. “Will you kiss me please?” she whispered.

Chat Noir was moving before he realized it, turning more to her and reaching up to cup her cheek. Her skin felt solid against his gloved palm and he kissed her softly, tentatively at first, but within seconds, Marinette was pushing back against him, her fingers going into his hair as she closed the space between them. 

“Please hold me,” she begged against his lips and Chat Noir’s arms became a vice grip around her, pulling her into his lap and to press against his chest. She pulled back enough so she could kiss along his jaw and Chat Noir let his head fall back against the wall with a content sigh, holding her tight against him as she straddled his hips. “I love you too,” she whispered against the skin of his neck above his collar. “You make me want to stay.”

“Stay,” he pleaded desperately. “Please.” He pressed the tip of his claws gently in her side as if testing that she was still real even with the weight of her body against him. 

“I don’t know how,” she cried mournfully and reached up to grab at the bell, pulling it down a few notches so could kiss the newly exposed skin. 

Chat Noir felt like he would explode if they went on much longer but he wasn’t dare going to stop. He longed to be touched like this, desperately yet carefully, and to have this woman who had snuck in and stolen his heart be the one to do it was almost too much. He’d been physical with women in the past, but this was something completely new. With others before, it was like scratching an itch, necessary and sometimes pleasurable but nothing deeper than that. Marinette was...

“I love you too,” she whispered again, placing one last kiss against his neck before she rested her cheek on his shoulder. They sat like that as the night wore on, entwined together and unwilling to break their connection until Marinette’s weight finally lightened and Chat Noir watched her fade with resigned eyes.


	13. Nightmare

Paon landed beside Adrien outside the half-boarded hotel back entrance. “You aren’t transformed?”

“Plagg is being an asshole,” he scowled.

“We shouldn’t go in this way. I’m not helping you,” the kwami huffed from Adrien’s pocket. “If you want to go up to the balcony, then I’ll make you Chat.”

“I am going up to the balcony eventually,” Adrien said.

“No.”

“Why doesn’t he want to go in?” Paon asked.

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.” Plagg zipped out angrily. “There’s something in there that’s dangerous.” He shivered. “I can hear it calling. The last time was almost too much.”

Adrien and Paon exchanged looks. “I don’t hear anything.”

“It’s not her,” Plagg insisted. “It can’t be.”

“Marinette?”

“No.”

Paon nodded knowingly. “The Ladybug kwami.”

“Her name was Tikki,” Plagg scowled. “It isn’t hard to remember. Ti-kki.”

“You haven’t said anything about her,” Adrien interjected.

“What’s the point? She’s gone.” Plagg crossed his tiny arms. “And I’m not going in there and you aren’t going in there without me so Feathers here may as well drop it and we can all go get coffee and a lovely cream cheese scone.”

“Have you considered that it could be her?”

Plagg glared at his holder. “It isn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because as soon as Marinette died, it felt like a part of me was ripped away. That had to be Tikki.”

“Plumes down.” Nathaniel appeared in a rush of blue light, catching Duusu in his hand. “Du, is it possible Tikki could have an echo like Marinette does?”

The Peacock kwami frowned. “We don’t leave ghosts.” She rocked forward, eyes sliding shut. “There is something in there though. We should definitely go see what it is.”

“Good luck,” Plagg scowled.

“What about the thing we were discussing last night? The stasis thing?” Nathaniel prodded.

Duusu turned in his palm and blinked large alien eyes at her holder. “Like if you were gravely injured and I kept you from dying by pouring my energy into you?”

Plagg’s ears flicked and he turned his face away.

“Yeah, that. Could Tikki have done that?”

“Tikki was the first one of us. She had power we probably never even realized.” She glanced at the other kwami. “That would explain Plagg’s decline over the last century. He could be sustaining her. They’re tied.”

“What are you blabbering on about? I’m fine.”

“Chat Noir has the most limited power set of any of your previous holders. Your power weakened until this state,” Duusu replied simply. 

Adrien frowned. “I’m weak?”

“In comparison to what you should be, yes.”

“He’s fine,” Plagg scowled. “He gets the job done with what I can give him.”

“Perhaps a tenth of the power he could wield through you,” Duusu shot back. “Catacysm is a starter skill. He should be able to do many other things by now but you don’t have the power for it.”

Adrien opened his palm and Plagg landed in it with a sigh. “Plagg, what if somehow she’s in there?”

“I thought Nino said Henry buried her?” Nathaniel piped up. “He’s been looking for her grave.”

“Perhaps he didn’t trust the Guardian,” Duusu offered. “It happens sometimes.”

“Like he wrote fake information in the journal so the Guardian wouldn’t find the earrings?”

“Possibly.”

Adrien noticed his kwami hunker in on himself. “What do you know, Plagg?” he accused.

“Nothing.”

“Plagg!”

“He did bury her!” Plagg exclaimed, flying up to face Adrien. “I was there. He buried her and then he locked himself away for months. I thought he was going to let himself die and there was nothing I could do about it!” His whole body sagged and he dropped back into Adrien’s hand. “But he didn’t bury the earrings with her,” he admitted. “They’re here.”

“What?! All this time and you--”

“Henry finally recovered but it took years. I didn’t want to see that happen to one of mine again.”

Nathaniel shifted uneasily, eyeing the dark hotel entrance. “Why bury the earrings here?”

“Because he thought...” Plagg sighed, hanging his head. “I told him that if anyone could bring Marinette back, it was Tikki, and being at the source of where she died might help. In my defense, I probably would’ve said anything just to get him to eat something at that point.”

“But you weren’t wrong.” Duusu flitted to the entrance. “That’s her in there.”

“Or what’s left of her,” Plagg muttered. “I told you, I felt Tikki’s power ripped away from me when Marinette died. That can’t really be her. It’s an echo.”

“Tikki wouldn’t have died with Marinette,” Duusu argued.

“What if she immediately put Marinette’s essence in a stasis though? Without preparation, doing something that big would completely deplete an energy source, right?” Nathaniel asked, eyes brightening. “You make me prepare for days before we attempt anything even on a medium scale. Something that big happening instantly would make it seem like Tikki was gone too.”

“But she is linked to Plagg and Plagg is still here, which means he might be feeding her enough energy to sustain Marinette’s essence,” Duusu continued excitedly.

“Magic users,” Plagg scoffed. “Always grasping for the impossible.”

Adrien ignored him. “You keep saying Marinette’s essence. Do you mean the Marinette in her room? So she’s separate from her body?”

“Marinette’s physical body is in the grave Henry put it in. I doubt there is much left now,” Duusu frowned.

“But she’s solid sometimes.”

“That’s the part that doesn’t make sense.” Nathaniel worried his lip. “I think we should go in. Do you know where Henry buried the earrings, Plagg?”

“I’m not doing this,” the kwami huffed.

“I’ll just go in without you then.” Adrien lifted his leg to step over the loose boards at the bottom of the door and then his transformation was taking him over. “Thanks, buddy.”

Paon followed behind him in a flash of blue light. “We still don’t know where the earrings are.”

“Give me a minute.” Chat Noir walked further down the dark hallway and closed his eyes, hoping to hear from the voices that sometimes plagued him. He waited but none spoke. 

“Please,” he thought. “I love her. I want to bring her back if I can. Please.”

He could hear his teammate moving around behind him but kept all his concentration on listening for the voice he was looking for. A tired man finally spoke in his head. “Room one-thirteen. The vent in the bottom right of the outside wall. There’s a fake bottom inside where the earrings are hidden.”

“Thank you, Henry,” Chat Noir whispered. “This way,” he said, raising his voice. “Room one-thirteen.”   
_______________________________

“Sometime soon would be really great!” Paon panted, reinforcing his ward against the door of room one-thirteen. A horrifying scream sounded on the other side of the door before something heavy thumped against it again.

Chat Noir’s claws scrabbled at the fake bottom of the flooring inside the vent tunnel. “I’m trying! It’s stuck!”

“Cataclysm it!”

“I can’t! I might destroy the earrings.”

“Scary Marinette doesn’t seem to care!” Paon stepped back and began to chant, hands flying up to weave another spell to keep out the banshee that had chased them down the hall and into the room as soon as they neared the earrings’ hidden spot.

“That’s not Marinette,” Chat Noir growled, the tip of a claw finally catching on something. He wedged the rest of his claws alongside and pulled up the rusted metal. He felt around, hand closing around a small box. “I think I’ve got it!”

“Good! Cataclysm the damn wall now and let’s get out of here!” Paon swore as the door began to splinter, his magic sparking as his wards were pressed by the banshee.

Chat Noir opened the box, eyes widening when he saw the red and black earrings sitting perfectly inside. “They’re here. They’re--”

A bright light blazed up from the earrings and Paon looked back to see Chat Noir disappear as the light died, the empty box dropping to the dirty floor. “Awesome,” he muttered, bracing his magic against the door. “This is my nightmare.”


	14. Bad Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am never going to catch up on comments at this point but I just want to say thanks so much for all the lovely words and encouragements. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am! <3

“I thought one of you might come someday,” a faint voice called.

Chat Noir looked around wildly but there was nothing but limitless white space surrounding him. “Who’s there?”

There was a soft popping sound and suddenly a kwami was floating in front of him. Floating might’ve been too generous a term though. The creature sagged, arms and legs hanging as if they were too heavy. It was a sickly brownish pink color with sunken dark eyes. 

“Are you Tikki?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “For a little while longer anyway.”

Chat Noir held his palm up and Tikki dropped into it gratefully. “Where am I?”

“Somewhere in between.”

“Like Marinette?”

Tikki curled on her side in his hand and shivered. “I know I shouldn’t have saved her like I did. I’ve lost so many holders but something about Marinette...” She closed her eyes, trailing off. 

“She’s special,” Chat Noir whispered in agreement.

“She was dying when I got to her, her body broken from the fall. I thought about transforming her in the hope that she could hold on until help came but her injuries were so severe.” Her voice grew faint and she took in a long breath. “I created this place to keep her essence until I could figure something out but it took all my power and we got stuck.”

“But you’re linked to Plagg.”

She smiled softly, nuzzling her cheek against his palm. “Yes.”

“How do I bring you both out?”

Tikki opened her eyes. “You don’t.”

“I don’t accept that.”

She laughed weakly. “I see Plagg chose well. He usually does.”

“You brought me here. Does that mean I’m stuck too?”

“I don’t think so. Latent power left in the earrings brought you here. They were trying to find me, I think.”

“Then how do I get back?”

“You chose to go,” she replied simply.

Chat Noir looked around the emptiness. “Is Marinette here?”

“Not as you know her.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Parts of her leaked out, I think. Manifested in your plane of reality.”

Chat Noir felt his heart stop. “So my Marinette isn’t real?”

Tikki gave him an exhausted look. “I really don’t know. I know there is a part of her that comes back here sometimes and has been changing. Bright and pink and...happy.”

Chat Noir clenched his jaw. “I’m taking you both back.”

“That’s a bad idea.”

“Why?”

“My power is depleted. I don’t know that I can keep Marinette’s essence together if I leave here.”

“But if you both stay here, she’s stuck anyway, isn’t she? What happens if the building is destroyed? What happens if the earrings go to someone else? Would you be pulled back to reality anyway without her?”

Tikki grimaced. “Probably.”

He straightened his shoulders. “Then let’s do this. Tell me how I can help.”

“I need to take as much of her essence with us as I can.” Tikki sat up with a good bit of effort, face determined. She raised her voice. “Marinette?” 

Warmth surrounded Chat Noir and he relaxed into it. “Hi, Princess,” he whispered as pink light broke up the white void. “Ready to come home?”


	15. Ridiculous Romantic Gesture

“This is not the way I thought I would go out, you freaking...oh.” Paon blinked in surprise as the banshee bearing down on him with gnashing teeth burst into a cloud of vapor.

“Purrfect timing?” Chat Noir groaned, suddenly appearing and dropping to his knees across the room. 

Paon rushed to his side. “What the hell, man?! What happened to you?”

Chat Noir winced as he dabbed at a large gash running along his cheek. “Uh, we had some trouble making the trip back.”

“The trip back?! We?!”

“Me, Marinette, and Tikki.”

Paon cast a worried glance around the otherwise empty room. “I think you need to start from the part where you abandoned me with the crazy ass shade of your ghost girlfriend.”

“Give me a second to catch my breath.” He inhaled shakily and coughed, blood bubbling up on his lips.

“I think we should get you to a hospital.”

“I need to go see if Marinette is here first.” Chat Noir opened his fist to reveal the Ladybug earrings. “I need to make sure it kept its word and she made it across.”

Paon felt the heaviness of magical knowledge settle on his shoulders. “You made a bargain, didn’t you?”

Chat Noir coughed again and more drops of blood splattered his lips and chin. “We found out the hard way that Tikki didn’t have enough power on her own and it was too dangerous to let Plagg out of the ring since he might get stuck too. There was a being in the void that offered help.”

“In exchange for what?” Paon growled.

“It doesn’t matter,” Chat Noir shook his head. “I had to get Marinette and Tikki back here no matter what.” He leaned on Paon and stood, swaying slightly. “Can you help me get to her room?”

“We should call the others.”

“Please, Nath, I need to make sure she’s okay. If it was Chloe--”

Paon heaved a sigh, shouldering his partner’s weight. “Don’t pull the Chloe card on me. We just broke up again.”

“You still wouldn’t leave her abandoned somewhere.”

“Shut up and come on.”  
________________________________

Linguini met them at the end of the hall, twisting herself around Chat Noir’s legs with a pitiful mewl. He tried not to let his imagination run away with him as to why the kitten was upset. He limped down the hall as Paon followed behind him in resignation.

“Marinette? Marinette?” 

Her room was empty and Linguini stayed at his feet as he searched every corner, heart sinking. “She’s not here. How can she not be here?”

“I called and Rena’s on her way. We need to get you patched up, buddy.”

Chat Noir collapsed against the wall, fist closed tight around the earrings. “What if I messed up? I told him to take whatever he wanted from me to bring her back. What if I didn’t have enough to give?”

Paon knelt in front of him. “Please tell me you didn’t give some unknown being full access to your existence.”

“I just needed her here.” Tears began to leak down the black mask to mingle with the blood along his cheek.

“You ridiculous, romantic idiot,” Paon sighed. “Can I see the earrings?”

Chat Noir held his closed fist closer to his chest and Paon’s expression softened.

“You know you can trust me, right?”

Reluctantly, he opened his hand. “Tikki said she would be stuck in the earrings for a while until she could save up enough power to come back out and take in energy by eating. She thought Marinette’s essence would be out here though. She said she would--” A coughing fit cut off the rest of his words and Paon grimaced at the amount of blood. 

“Come on, buddy, Rena will be here any second. Let’s get you to the balcony.”  
________________________________

Marinette stood up shakily and looked around her room. Her head pounded and she had the strangest sensation that she had just been with Chat Noir and Tikki at the same time but that wasn’t possible. She suddenly heard Chat Noir calling her name and rushed to the door to see him limping down the hall, Linguini at his heels and Paon at his back. His suit was torn in places and there was blood running from his cheek and a wound at his temple. 

“What happened to you?!” She ran forward and passed right through him, stumbling a few steps before she passed through Paon as well. She spun around in fear. “Chat?! Chat!”

“She’s not here. How can she not be here?” he asked mournfully.

Linguini left Chat Noir and met Marinette at the doorway of the room, blinking large golden eyes up at her. 

“You can still see me,” Marinette cried, falling to her knees to pet the cat. Her hand went through Linguini and she let out another sad mewl. “What happened to me?”

She looked across the room to see Paon helping Chat Noir up as Rena Rouge landed on the balcony. She gritted her teeth. He was leaving without her. She would make him see her. He had to!

“I’ll be back, Linny. Be a good girl.” Marinette rushed towards the trio, concentrating with all her might on the pair of red and black earrings clutched tightly in Chat Noir’s fist.


	16. Cuddles

“Tikki?” Marinette struggled to come to terms with her state of being once she entered the earrings but this was something entirely foreign. She felt spread thin and somehow too tightly wound. And she couldn’t seem to create any kind of form as if only her consciousness was allowed to float in that state.

“I’m here.”

“Chat’s hurt. He was trying to leave and he couldn’t see me and I--” Warmth surrounded her and Marinette let the mounting panic ease away.

“It’s okay,” her kwami soothed. “You’re safe here. We’ll keep you safe.”

“He’s hurt.”

“I think he’ll be okay. He’s just a bit beat up.” The sound of a yawn filled the area and Marinette had the sudden urge to laugh. It was such a normal reaction for such an absurd situation. “I think he lost his mind a little for a moment when he was bringing us over. He was babbling about trades and power but I think going between dimensions just took a toll on his physical form. Plagg will take care of him.” There was another yawn and Tikki’s voice grew fainter. “I have to rest now, Marinette.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “I think I’ll try to get back out.”

“Be careful.”  
________________________

“Welcome back to the land of the living.”

Adrien blinked a few times before he could focus on Nino at his bedside. “What happened?” he croaked. He heard liquid pouring and glanced down to the end of the bed to see Alya readying a glass of water. She gave him a small smile before handing the water off to Nino.

“How are you feeling?” Nino helped him sit up enough to sip at the water.

“Like I got run over by a bus,” he groaned.

“Well, that’s the story we’re going with so that works.”

“Huh?”

“Apparently your injuries are most consistent with trauma from being hit by a vehicle,” Alya shrugged. “We told them we found you like that and let the medical staff fill in the blanks.”

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Marinette!”

“There still hasn’t been any sign of her,” Nino winced. “I’m sorry, dude.”

“Nathaniel has been checking the hotel just in case she turns up though,” Alya added hopefully. “And Chloe went to your place and got some fresh clothes for you. She’s also been keeping an eye out for anything ghostly that could be linked to Marinette.”

“Your father has been by once. He tried to insist you be moved to another facility but we were able to shut that down.”

“Plagg?”

“Glad to see where I rank,” the kwami muttered from under the blanket. 

Adrien reached a shaky hand towards the lump. “Sorry, buddy, it’s been a big day.”

“Two days.”

“What?” Adrien looked at Alya in surprise.

“You’ve been out of it for two days. Well, almost three now, I guess.”

“The deal,” he murmured.

Alya and Nino exchanged looks but Plagg cackled, worming his way out of the blankets. “Yeah, Kid, let’s hear about this deal,” he demanded gleefully.

Adrien’s brow furrowed. “There was an entity in the void that made it possible for us to cross back over when you couldn’t come out of the ring.”

“Except I did come out of the ring,” Plagg corrected. “I pushed us through and then transformed you again at the last minute. Couldn’t keep you from getting beat up though unfortunately. Getting Tikki out drained most of my energy. Alya has been sweet enough to provide me with plenty of delicious Camembert for my rehabilitation though.” He grinned at Alya and she winked.

Adrien shook his head. “No, that isn’t right. It was too dangerous for you to come out of the ring. I told the being he could have whatever he wanted if he would get us all back to reality,” Adrien argued.

“Ah, so that’s what you were going on about. It makes sense now. Your mind couldn’t handle the void without your transformation so it turned it into something you understand.” Plagg grinned. “You’re such an absolute dork.”

Nino put a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying not to smile. “You’ve been murmuring the name Elric in your sleep.”

“Elric?” Understanding washed over his face. “Oh.”

Plagg cackled. “He was rewatching Fullmetal just last week! You really thought...” He broke off with more laughter. “That’s not real, you dweeb!”

“When Master first began his realm meditations, he was certain he had joined a musical ensemble called Daft Punk and this life was all a lie,” Wayzz piped up from Nino’s shoulder. “He cried for an hour over the loss.”

Plagg’s laughter grew louder and Nino grimaced. “That was supposed to stay between us, Wayzz.”

The Turtle kwami tried not to smile. “My apologies, Master.”

Alya looked between them with fondly amused eyes. “Nerds.”

Adrien’s face fell. “So if there was no being and no deal, where are Marinette and Tikki?”

Nino reached for his messenger bag and pulled out a small box, opening the top to reveal the earrings. “Tikki is in here. She should come out once she’s ready.”

“But Marinette...”

Alya squeezed his arm. “Adrien, we’re so sorry. We’re not giving up hope yet, but it’s not looking good.”

“We’ll see if Tikki knows anything when she forms again,” Nino added.  
________________________

Marinette wasn’t sure how long she had been by his bedside but the others had been gone and darkness had fallen. She was afraid she might be ripped away when Nino left with the earrings but perhaps it was sheer will that kept her by Chat Noir’s side. She didn’t like to think of the other possibilities. 

She wished she could touch him, but she settled for studying this new version of Chat Noir that she had never seen before. His face looked different without the mask, younger almost. She had been surprised by his eyes which was silly. Henry’s had changed as well but for some reason she hadn’t thought of Chat Noir having anything different than what she saw. They were still a lovely green though. That part was nice.

His cuts were held together by butterfly bandages and seemed to be healing nicely. It still hurt her to see him wounded though, especially if it had been on her account.

Her heart ached when he asked about her earlier, his face crumpling when no one could tell him she was right there beside him.

“I’m here,” she whispered, climbing into the bed and curling into his side as much as she could. She could almost feel his warmth, as if there was only a thin barrier between them. Or perhaps maybe she wanted it so badly that she was imagining it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One person almost guessed what was going on in the last chapter but it wasn't quite right ;)


	17. Heartbeat

“You sure do know how to wrap them around your little finger,” Plagg drawled.

Marinette startled, lifting her head up from just above Adrien’s chest where she was listening to his steady heartbeat as he slept. “You know I’m here,” she whispered.

“I do.”

“Can you tell him for me?”

Plagg studied her in the dark hospital room. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“You’ve never been all that fond of me.”

“That’s not even a little true. I mourned you right beside him.”

She sat up more. “Then why not tell Chat?”

“Because Henry never really got over you and Adrien might still have a chance to heal if we cut this off now.”

Marinette looked back down at Adrien’s sleeping face, her fingers reaching out to hover just above his hair. “Adrien,” she echoed. “It suits him, doesn’t it? Although I do love Chat Noir as well.”

“I have no doubt he’d let you call him anything you wanted. He’s ridiculous like that.”

Her lips curved into a small smile for a moment before the expression disappeared. “What’s going to happen to me, Plagg?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I think we need to wait for Tikki to wake up.”

“I was afraid I was stuck in another plane but since you can see me, I guess I’m not. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse.”

“We’ll figure something out.”

“Hmmm?” Adrien stirred, blinking groggily. “What’d you say?”

“Go back to sleep, Kid,” Plagg murmured, eyeing Marinette as he curled up by Adrien’s shoulder.

“I’m tired of sleeping.”

“Hush.”

“I have to find her, Plagg.”

“You have to heal up.”

Adrien yawned, turning on his side a little. “If I transform, I could--”

“Nope.”

“But--”

“Nope.”

Marinette watched him take a deep breath that got interrupted by another yawn. “Fine. But if they don’t release me tomorrow, Chat Noir is breaking out of here.”

“Sure, Kid. Now go to sleep.”

Marinette watched them both for a few moments before leaning down and pressing her lips to the air where she should’ve felt Adrien’s cheek. “Goodnight, Kitty,” she whispered.

“Night, Princess,” he murmured, making her heart clench.


	18. Bodyguard

“Are you sure you don’t want to come stay at our place?” Nino asked for the third time. “Al and I really don’t mind.”

Adrien chuckled softly as he made his way to his couch. “I’m fine really. I’m just banged up. Nothing a little rest isn’t going to fix. I’ve gotten worse from akumas and minions.”

“We’ll agree to disagree on that.” Nino locked the apartment door and dropped into the arm chair. “How’s the mental stuff?”

Adrien frowned. “It all felt so real. I feel dumb now but in the moment, I really was willing to give whatever it took to get Marinette here. I thought I had.” He leaned his head back against the couch and inhaled deeply. “And now I don’t even know if she made it here. What if she’s still locked in that other plane without Tikki or what if...” He couldn’t bring himself to speak the words out loud. It was too painful to admit that Marinette might be truly gone.

“The dimension stuff can really screw you up without your kwami’s protection. It feels so real,” Nino agreed, trying to keep the conversation going. He hesitated for a moment before pulling a box out of his jacket pocket and setting it on the coffee table. “I think these should stay with you for a while. I know technically I’m supposed to hold onto them, but I know you’ll keep them safe.”

“The earrings?”

“And Tikki.”

Adrien swallowed. “And maybe Marinette?”

“No promises but maybe.”

“Thank you, Nino.”

He nodded. “Uh, Nath was asking if you want him to bring the kitten here? He took her to his place for the time being.”

Adrien swallowed hard, feeling guilty that he had forgotten about Linguini with everything else. “Yeah, I would really appreciate that. Thanks.”  
____________________________

Marinette watched Adrien painfully pace the length of his living room. Plagg looked between their sorrowful expressions and zipped to Adrien’s shoulder with a sigh. “You need to sit down, Kid.”

“Let’s go check the hotel just in case.”

“She isn’t there.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Can you think of yourself right now? You were still in a hospital bed hours ago.”

“She needs me.”

“She’s fine,” Plagg huffed. “Mostly.”

Adrien spun, grimacing in pain. “What do you mean by that?”

Marinette stood up, heart pounding as Adrien’s eyes swept by her unseeing.

The kwami sagged in the air. “What’s the likelihood of you giving up on ever finding her?”

“Zero.”

“I was afraid of that,” he sighed. “I’m going to transform you and we’ll try something but you will not leave your apartment, do you understand? I will tear the suit away mid-jump and you’ll plummet and have to go back to hospital if you try to leave.”

“You wouldn’t do that to me.”

“Don’t test me, Kid. I’m trying to guard you here but I have my limits.”

“Guard me?”

“I always think I’m so clever in who I choose and most of you end up being lovesick fools. It’s obnoxious. Come on, let’s get this over with.”

Chat Noir’s transformation washed over him in a rush of green light and he looked around hopefully but the feeling quickly dwindled. “What was the point of this?” he murmured.

“Please see me,” Marinette whispered. “Please, Kitty. Please, please, please.”

“Plagg, give me a hint here.” Chat Noir rolled his shoulders. The suit did help alleviate some of the pain, though there was still a dull ache. He walked in a looping circle around his couch and coffee table. 

“Please,” Marinette begged, concentrating all her energy on the thought of Chat Noir being able to see her. It suddenly hit her just how weak she was, how tired. She’d been fighting for so long to be seen and heard and she wasn’t sure how much energy she had left. Her tie to Tikki felt like the thinnest string, pulled tight and threatening to snap. “Chat, please.”

Chat Noir’s head whipped around. “Marinette?” His eyes were wide as he searched the living room. “Mari, are you here?”

She choked back a sob. “Chat! Adrien! I’m begging you. See me! Please!”

Faint pink light filtered into existence and Chat Noir crossed the room quickly. “Marinette, please. I’m here. Please let me see you. I’m here.” A translucent outline of Marinette appeared, glowing tears tracking down her cheeks as she covered her mouth. Chat Noir felt everything in him let go in one single moment. “Marinette,” he breathed.

She nodded, slowly lowering her hand. “I’m so sorry, Kitty. This is all I can do.”

He was confused at first but made himself take in her barely visible form. “It’s okay,” he quickly replied. “Remember? It was like this at first. We’ll just work on it again.”

“I don’t know if I can. I’m so tired.”

“I’ll help you. Anything you need.”

Marinette gave him a small smile. “I can’t believe you can finally see me. I thought I was going to end up haunting you for years.”

“This is so much better,” he grinned. 

“So I can stay?”

“Forever.”


	19. Mask

Chat Noir’s ring beeped in warning and he frowned at it. “I think Plagg is tired.”

“We have been talking for hours,” Marinette conceded with a small smile.

“Yeah, but I can’t see you when I’m not transformed,” he whined. 

She reached forward on the couch, kissing the air above his for forehead. “You need your rest and so does Plagg. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

“Okay, you’re right,” he sighed, letting his transformation fall.

“It’s about time,” Plagg huffed, flying to the kitchen. 

“Is it okay if I just keep talking for a little bit? I know it’ll be one-sided but it makes me feel better.” Adrien waited for some kind of sign for a moment before continuing. “So I guess I’m wondering if you need anything here? I can order some stuff if you want it. And Nathaniel is bringing Linguini over in the morning so that should be good.”

“She said she’s just happy to be here, Kid.” Plagg tossed a wedge of Camembert up into the air and caught it in his mouth.

“Yeah, but I want you to feel like this is your home too! I could turn my office into your own space if you want. I don’t really use it anyway. Or we could look for a bigger place. There will be four of us now so it might start getting cramped.”

Plagg cackled. “She says you’re ridiculous.” He made a face. “Fine, fine, she actually said adorably ridiculous.” 

“Okay, but--”

“Go to sleep, Kid. She said she’ll go in the bedroom too.”

Adrien flushed. “Oh, um, okay, yeah, that sounds good.”

Plagg rolled his eyes and finished off his dinner as he watched Adrien go into his room. “I’m not going to do this every night so you better not get used to it,” he grumbled.

“Maybe we can figure something out,” Marinette replied, looking towards the bedroom door. “Maybe Tikki will be able to help me.”

“Yeah, here’s hoping,” he sighed. “Alright, get in there. I’m going to need a little more cheese if I’ve got to keep this up.”  
_____________________

Adrien was teetering on the edge of sleep when he felt his transformation wash over him. He blinked in confusion a few times and then realized Marinette’s face was right across from his, a glowing blush painting her cheeks.

“Hi, Kitty,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he breathed. 

“Plagg is being sweet to us.”

“Remind me to order him something really fancy tomorrow.”

She laughed and Chat Noir felt all his stress ease away. “I’m sure he’ll remind you himself.” She reached out, fingers ghosting over the edge of his mask. 

Chat Noir imagined he could feel the warmth of her skin as he closed his eyes. “Do you have a preference?” he asked softly.

“What do you mean?”

He looked at her, green cat eyes glowing in the dark room. “Do you like me better as Chat or Adrien?”

She smiled. “Aren’t you the same person?”

“I don’t know.”

“A mask doesn’t change who you are, Adrien.”

He gave her a sleepy grin. “It changes my eyes.”

“I do love your kitty eyes,” she admitted, “but your other eyes are lovely all on their own. And you’ve still got the same sweet heart either way.”

Silence fell over them like a warm blanket and Chat Noir fought to keep the sleep away, the picture of Marinette’s head resting on his pillow one that he never wanted to forget.

“Do you have a preference?” she whispered and he realized he had fallen asleep at some point.

“Hmmm?”

“It’s possible I can never be real again.” Marinette worried her lip. “Am I going to be enough for you like this?”

“Yes,” he breathed as sleep finally took him.


	20. I Thought I Lost You

Marinette wandered into the living room an hour after Chat Noir’s transformation fell and Plagg curled up on the pillow between them. It would’ve been nice to sleep for the novelty of it but she didn’t really need it. Or maybe it was that she couldn’t really do it. She liked to think it was a choice that she didn’t sleep but she wasn’t so sure. She should just let herself go numb for a while to save energy but there was so much to experience now.

She’d been too desperate for Adrien to see her before to really appreciate his apartment. Pictures lined one of the living room walls, some amalgamation of Adrien, Nino, Alya, Chloe, and Nathaniel in all but two. There were none of them as their super alter egos but she supposed that made sense. It would be suspicious to have something like that framed on the wall. The other two looked like family photos with a young Adrien, a smiling woman, and a stoic man. 

The family photo made her think of the one of Henry and his new family from his journal. Henry married his new wife not quite a year after Marinette fell. She wasn’t surprised really, but it still stung. His cramped words continued to talk about her for years afterwards though until he was up in age and finally giving up his ring and the journal along with it. She hoped he eventually fell in love with his wife and enjoyed his family. His journal read as almost a letter to her and spoke little about them unless necessary for a point he was trying to make. 

Marinette pressed her finger to Adrien’s lips in a photo but the tip sunk through the glass and she pulled it back quickly with a frown. She had already haunted one man for years, was it really fair to do it to another one now?  
____________________________

“What do you mean she’s not here?! She has to be here!” Adrien spun on Plagg and the kwami gave him a helpless shrug.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Kid.”

“Let’s go to the hotel. Maybe for some reason she got pulled back there or--”

Plagg glanced across the room at Marinette who shook her head. “Actually, I’m not doing this,” he huffed. “If you want to leave, you have to tell him yourself.” He zipped across the room and pushed into the ring.

Chat Noir stumbled back a few steps before he saw Marinette across the room. “What’s going on?”

She hugged herself. “I think maybe I should go.”

“What? Why? Did I do something or--”

“No. I promise it isn’t you, Chat, but this isn’t fair for you if I stay.”

“Do you want to stay with me?”

“That’s not the point.”

Chat Noir chanced a step closer. “Yeah, but do you?”

Marinette eyed his boots warily, not wanting any more of the distance between them to slip away in case she lost her nerve at his closeness. “Henry wrote about me for years. I wasn’t even around and I haunted him. I don’t know what he missed out on because he was thinking about me.” She looked at the wall of photos. “I don’t want to do that to you.”

He followed her gaze to the photos and frowned. “You don’t see it, do you?”

“What?”

“How lonely I was before you,” he answered softly. “Every single one of those photos, I’m the odd one out. I’ve never had anyone and then I found you.”

“I’m not real,” she insisted.

“You’re not solid,” he clarified. “No one would ever be able to convince me you aren’t real.” He stepped closer again. “I thought I lost you once and I don’t ever want to feel that again. If you want to leave because you don’t feel the same way, that’s one thing and I won’t try to stop you. But if you want to leave because you think you’re doing me some kind of favor, please don’t. You have no idea how much you’ve changed my world since you came into it.”

Glittering tears ran down her cheeks and Marinette nodded slowly. “Okay,” she whispered. “I promise I won’t go anywhere.”

He closed the distance between them, offering his hand palm up as he had so many times before. She laughed softly and set her palm above his so he could lean down and kiss the air above her translucent skin. “I love you,” he promised. “And that isn’t going to change.”


	21. Civilian

Marinette touched the perfectly pinned-back soft curls. “Do I look okay?”

“You look the same as you always do,” Queen B shrugged.

“You look gorgeous,” Rena Rouge assured her, shooting Chloe a warning look as she fiddled with her camera settings. 

“Sorry. I didn’t realize telling a ghost that doesn’t change that she looked the same was an insult.” Queen B rolled her eyes. “You look pretty, obviously.”

“Thanks,” Marinette flushed.

“We may have to play around with a few things to see what works,” Carapace warned, joining them with his own camera. “I don’t know how easy it’s going to be to capture your essence on film when we can’t even see you if we aren’t transformed.”

“I told him this was a silly idea.”

Chat Noir appeared at the edge of his hallway with a grin. “And I told her I need a million pictures of her for my wall so we’ll keep trying things until we find one she shows up in.”

“Are you going to be Chat in the photos?”

“Yeah. It seems fitting. I need a Chat Noir and civilian photo on my wall since I’m such a big fan,” he laughed. “Besides, I never like wasting a chance to be able to see my princess.”

Marinette felt her face flame and she ducked her head shyly, feeling four sets of eyes on her.

“Oh my goodness, you glow when you blush!” Rena Rouge exclaimed, clasping her hands. “That is the cutest thing ever. Nino, isn’t that the cutest?”

“It’s the cutest,” he agreed with a chuckle. “Okay, I think this one is ready to try. Let’s do it.”  
_________________________

“You guys didn’t have to stay here. I’m sure you’ve got more important things to be doing.” 

Rena Rouge closed her laptop and turned to Marinette. “We don’t mind. The guys might be out getting the photos developed for a while anyway.”

“And Alya wants to grill you,” Queen B added, reclining in Adrien’s armchair.

“That too.”

Marinette laughed. “I appreciate the honesty. What do you want to know?”

“I’ve actually got one first,” Queen B interjected. “What happens if Tikki finally comes out of those earrings and gives you your body back or something?”

“Do you think that might happen?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Nathaniel said it was possible but he’s an idiot.”

“He’s not an idiot; you’re just salty about him right now,” Rena Rouge clarified. “If you do get your body back, or a body back, I guess, what would you do?”

Marinette blinked. “I would stay here...unless you don’t think Adrien wants me to? Has he said that?” She looked down at her hands. “What if I can come back but then I’m not me and he doesn’t even want me anymore?”

Queen B narrowed her eyes. “You’re really in love with him?”

“I really am.”

“So what if you’re stuck as a ghost and he ends up falling for someone else, you know, someone alive and breathing?” Queen B pressed.

Marinette’s face fell but she nodded. “I would go. I already tried to leave a couple of nights ago.” Linguini sauntered into the room and jumped in her lap with a chuffing sound. “Henry spent most of his life haunted by my memory and I won’t do that to Chat.”

“How is she doing that?” Rena Rouge breathed.

“What?”

“You’re all ghosty. How is Linguini in your lap?”

Marinette looked down in surprise. “I’m not sure. She’s always been able to touch me.”

Rena Rouge poked Marinette’s shoulder, her gloved finger sliding through the translucent form. “Freaky,” she murmured. 

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“We don’t mean to be harsh but Adrien is really important to us.”

“He’s really important to me too,” Marinette said solemnly.

Queen B crossed her arms. “He’s smiled more than I can ever remember in the last month so I guess that’s something.”

Marinette flushed. “He has?”

“Just be careful with him, okay?” Rena Rouge requested, voice gentle. “He is one of the best guys we know and we really want to see him happy.”

“That’s all I want too.”


	22. Marinette and Plagg

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the sweet comments. Even though I haven't been responding, please know that they make me so happy to read. Thanks! <3

“You two are severely impairing my sleep schedule and I don’t like it,” Plagg huffed, floating into the living room. “What are you doing out here?”

Marinette smiled at the photo of her and Chat Noir now hung in the center of the picture wall. “I just thought I would come out here for a bit.”

“Last time you did that you tried to run away the next morning,” Plagg grumbled.

“I won’t this time. You can go back to sleep.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll stay up with you for a bit.” He floated down to where Linguini was curled up in the corner of the couch and nestled against her back. Linguini chuffed before a low purr began to pour out.

Marinette joined them on the couch. “Did you really think we were gone back then, when you told Henry to put the earrings in the hotel?”

“I don’t know. I was torn. It hurt enough that I thought I’d lost Tikki but I never existed without her. I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to feel like.”

“Did Henry really think I could come back?”

“No. You know he was too logical for that. I think...I think that was his way of finally letting go though. We never went back to the hotel.”

“But you had the power to bring me and Tikki back,” Marinette pointed out.

“Sure, now,” he shrugged. “I don’t know that I could’ve done it back then, especially with the shape Henry was in. And as weak as Tikki still was, she was even weaker right after pulling you into that other plane.” He shook his head. “I’d been trying to pretend like there was nothing I could do because I was scared, but I knew it was a lost cause the minute Adrien landed on that balcony. I’d been trying to steer clear of that place ever since I was given to him.”

“So you haven’t had any holders between them?”

The kwami shook his head. “I needed a break. I requested to be taken out of rotation for a while and with the Ladybug Miraculous gone, it was an easy decision. Honestly, I was surprised when I got Adrien but he’s been good. We’ve been together for a few years now and I think maybe we needed each other.”

Marinette studied her hands. “I’m afraid that maybe Adrien’s feelings for me aren’t exactly real. Not that I’m accusing him of anything at all but maybe it was just you and Tikki trying to come together again and we’re in the way so we got hit with it too.”

“I’m sorry I left you alone for so long,” Plagg finally said. “I was scared to come back and you suffered for it.”

“I wasn’t your responsibility.”

“That doesn’t matter,” he sighed. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think there’s any magic going on between you and Adrien other than the old-fashioned love kind. You two being crazy about each other doesn’t have anything to do with me and Tik.”

“Do you think they’ll give the earrings to someone else when Tikki comes back out?”

“Maybe,” he admitted. “They’re a good group but they need more power.”

“It was nice to see the Peacock is back in the right hands.”

“Yeah, Nathaniel’s a nice guy. We’ve all been keeping an eye on him for any warning signs we missed with Gwendolyn back then. The magic just doesn’t sit well with some, but I think he’ll be okay.”

“What happened to her after she...after she killed me?” Marinette asked softly.

Plagg grimaced. “Henry had a rage blackout after she pushed you. He used Cataclysm on her and she lost both legs but she lived. Francis took her Miraculous away and still visited her until her death, but her mind never really recovered.”

“I’m sorry for that.”

“A lot of mistakes were made. We’re trying to make sure that doesn’t happen this time around.” 

“Except now the Butterfly is being used for evil.”

“It’s always something. Lots of magic users have come out of the woodwork too, which is why we’ve been training Nino and Nathaniel.”

“The world is always going to be a mess, isn’t it?”

“Good thing we’ve got people like you, huh?”

“I’m not really a person anymore,” Marinette corrected.

“I’m not really a person at all but that doesn’t matter much.”

“No,” she smiled, “I guess it doesn’t.”


	23. Linguini

“I think I can feel that,” Chat Noir purred, closing his eyes.

Marinette laughed softly as her fingers ghosted through his hair. “You can not, you silly kitty.”

“Mmhmm.”

Paon cleared his throat. “You guys know we’re here, right?” 

Carapace grinned, shaking his head. “I think we’re almost ready if you are, Marinette.”

She swallowed hard and nodded, straightening. She felt Chat Noir move closer to her and she made a soft sound and then called for Linguini. The kitten pranced into the living room and jumped onto her lap as if it was a solid thing, turning once and curling up. Marinette scratched her behind the ears and a purr began.

“Great, just like that,” Carapace murmured. He nodded at Paon and they both moved closer, chanting in unison. Glowing light emanated around Linguini and she looked up in annoyance. 

“Do you see it?” Paon shifted even closer. “They’re connected somehow.”

“Mmhmm. Let me get the earrings.” Carapace reached behind him and brought the box closer to Marinette and Linguini and the glowing light jumped to catch onto them.

“What’s happening?” Chat Noir demanded. 

“Something is connecting me, Linny, and Tikki, I think,” Marinette said, watching Paon gingerly touch one of the glowing lines tethering the trio together. 

“The connection is coming from Tikki.”

“I understand why Tikki and I are connected but why Linny?” Marinette asked.

Carapace reached out to pet Linguini and she tolerated him with a put upon expression. “Maybe Tikki needed something set in this plane to latch onto to keep you here. You and the cat already had a relationship. Maybe the connection even started the moment Chat brought Linguini to you.”

“Is that a bad thing or a good thing?” Chat Noir frowned. 

“It’s just a magic thing,” Paon shrugged. “This is a lot stronger than I expected.”

“Um, the earrings are...they’re...doing...” Marinette’s eyes rolled back and she slumped when Linguini suddenly jumped off her lap, shooting down the hall like a rocket.

“Mari! What’s happening?!” Chat Noir’s hands hovered over her arm helplessly before his hand clasped around solid flesh and he pulled her to him in surprise. “Marinette?! Marinette!”

Carapace and Paon both fell back, their transformations washing away in a burst of energy as Tikki appeared in the air with wide eyes. “Well, hello,” she chirped. “I feel much better.”


	24. Flowers

Marinette inhaled deeply. She was so warm. Not too warm, but that really nice warm that teetered right on the edge. The warm that if she stayed in too long would become hot but for now, it was a perfect feeling. She sighed happily and let herself sink further into the sensation. Lovely fragrances tickled her nose and she could see the field of flowers he had brought her to for the day without opening her eyes. 

“You know you can’t stay out here much longer,” Henry warned. “You’ll burn.”

“I’ll be fine,” she smiled, keeping her eyes closed against the bright sun. Her belly was still full from their picnic and she had a distinctly satisfied feeling that came from spending a nice day with a loved one. “You worry too much.”

“It’s my job to worry about you.”

She opened one eye and grinned up at him. “Then we need to get you a hobby, dear.” The sun suddenly set and they were plunged into twilight. Marinette pushed herself up on her elbows. “That’s not right. This isn’t how this day went.”

“We don’t have much time now,” Henry said with a sad smile. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen when it gets dark. I think we have to say goodbye.” He offered her his hand and Marinette stood, gripping his arm.

“Goodbye? I don’t understand. What’s happening?”

“I think he’ll be good for you, my sweet flower. You need fun. He can give you that. I was never much good with cutting loose.”

“Who?” Marinette felt sharp tears prick her eyes and confusion made her mind swim. “Henry, please tell me what’s happening.”

Henry smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear and letting his thumb graze over her earring. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. Please be careful.” The sky darkened and Henry pulled her to his chest, holding her tight. “Live your best life, Marinette. I love you.”  
______________________________

Marinette opened her eyes and stared at the dark ceiling in confusion. She swallowed and her throat was sore, her mouth too dry. Everything ached and she had the distinct knowledge that if she tried to move too much, she would regret it. She became aware of a steady beep and slightly turned her head so she could see a machine to her left, an illuminated line ticking up at a steady rhythm. Her heartbeat.

Her heartbeat...

She took a deep breath and could smell something strong and astringent. She could smell! She concentrated all her energy on her fingers and felt them rub stiffly against something soft.

“It’s okay,” a soft voice soothed and Marinette almost cried out in relief when Tikki flitted into view. “Don’t move too much, Marinette. I did as much as I could but it wasn’t enough.”

“What’s...” she grimaced and tried to swallow again but her mouth and throat were too dry.

“I was able to recreate your body from the moment I took you,” Tikki said quietly, “but I didn’t have enough energy to heal all of your injuries from the fall. I got you well enough to make it to the hospital though. I drained Wayzz and Duusu but they’ll be fine soon.”

“Fall...” she rasped.

“Let me wake Chat. Maybe that’ll make things clearer.”

Chat. Marinette pushed through the snarl of memories in her head and pulled on the glowing green pulse she found, bringing everything back in a rush. Chat Noir. Adrien. He found her. He saved her. And suddenly he was all she could see, leaning over her bed with wide, expectant cat eyes set in a black mask. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.

“Water?” he asked, already reaching for the pitcher and cup on the tray at her bed.

She gave a small nod, unwilling to look away from him as he poured the drink.

Chat Noir came back to her head, pushing a button to slowly raise the bed enough for her to drink. He held the cup to her lips carefully, watching for any sign that he needed to pull back. 

The water was cool and refreshing and better than anything Marinette could ever remember tasting. She leaned back and Chat Noir took the cup down. “Kitty,” she whispered.

His bottom lip trembled and he was suddenly kissing her forehead, whispering words she couldn’t quite make out. After a few moments, he finally pulled back enough to look down at her. “How do you feel?”

She winced with a small smile and he grimaced. “Dumb question?”

“I did fall off a building a hundred years ago,” she answered, voice scratchy.

Chat Noir chuckled in surprise, kissing her forehead again. “I’ve been staying here as Chat. I told the staff that I found you like this. They haven’t been able to identify you, of course.”

“Because I shouldn’t exist,” she said slowly.

“But you do,” he beamed. “Adrien Agreste has offered to fund your recovery since you were found near a building he’s buying.”

“How gracious of him.”

“He tries,” Chat Noir winked. His expression grew serious. “Are you in a lot of pain? Can I get you anything?”

Marinette looked up at him as her memories jockeyed for top position in her mind in a confusing melee. “Is this real?”

He gave her a soft smile. “This is the best yes I’ve ever been able to give.”


	25. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was planning on doing the whole month but I think I would just be stringing the story along to fill the prompts so I’m going to end it here. Thank you guys so much for reading and going on this journey with me and for all the lovely comments. I’ve really enjoyed writing in this universe. <3

“Are you so ready to get out of here?” Chloe asked, taking a stack of lounge pants and t-shirts out of the hospital room drawer and putting them in Marinette’s brand new suitcase. “I’m sick of this place and I’ve only been coming for visits.”

“Well, other than the pain, it’s been better than the last place I was stuck in,” Marinette grinned, slowly making progress across the hospital room. “I have to come back for physical therapy still but it will be nice to get settled in at the apartment. I miss Linny and I think the staff is tired of trying to kick Chat out after visiting hours.”

“I won’t be surprised if Adrien finds a way to weasel out of that meeting to get here,” Alya laughed, zipping up the case of toiletries. “He threw the biggest fit when he found out he couldn’t be the one to take you home when you were being released.”

“I made him promise not to.” Marinette slumped on the edge of her bed in exhaustion. “He’s already missed so much work because of me the last few weeks.”

“I hope he listens to you. Gabriel’s been sniffing around a little too much for my taste.”

“Ass,” Chloe muttered from across the room.

“I created a recent history for you online and I really do think it will hold up but I’d rather it not be poked at too much,” Alya winced. “I think that’s everything. Are you ready to get started on your new life?”

Marinette took a deep breath and nodded, a smile stretching across her lips. “I’m ready.”  
_______________________

Chat Noir landed on his balcony with a quiet thump, pushing the doors open gently when he saw Marinette asleep on the couch, Linguini curled up at her feet and Tikki tucked in at Linguini’s side. The kwami still wasn’t at full power but she was getting better everyday and Marinette was already expressing interest in taking up her mantle as Ladybug once they were both back to full health.

She inhaled deeply, shifting a little and he grinned when he saw the I Love Chat Noir t-shirt Nathaniel had brought to the hospital for her. His friends had been so kind and helpful in assisting her recovery and transition. Their friends, he amended mentally, finally registering the soft beat of one of Nino’s songs filtering out from the open laptop on the coffee table. 

He sat down near her legs carefully and took a moment to study the woman he’d fallen in love with so completely. Her hair had grown longer and her freckles were more pronounced now that she wasn’t translucent. He rested his hand on her ankle and felt relief wash through him. He found it hard to keep himself from touching her now, as if he liked to remind them both that she was real and solid and here. 

Marinette shifted again and opened her eyes slowly, a beautiful smile appearing when she saw Chat Noir at the end of the couch. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he grinned. “How do you feel?”

She reached for him and he helped her sit up and then curl against his chest. She tilted her face up to kiss him, humming contentedly as she did. “Perfect,” she smiled against his lips, “now that you’re home.”


End file.
